Bank Routing Number:The Bank Routing Transit Number is a 9 digit number assigned to canadian banks by Canadian Payment Association. A routing number identifies the financial institution and the branch to which a payment item is directed. Along with the account number, it is essential for delivering payments through the clearing system. In Canada, there are two formats for routing numbers:

Electronic Transactions (EFT) Routing Number: A routing number for electronic payment items contains a zero (called the "leading zero"), a three-digit financial institution number and a five-digit branch number. The electronic routing number is used for electronic payment items, such as direct deposits and pre-authorized debits. For example, if Bank A's institution number is 123, and one of their branches is number 45678, the electronic routing number would look like this: 012345678 . Also, if a cheque has a routing number of XXXXX-YYY, the corresponding EFT code would be 0YYYXXXXX.

Paper Transactions Routing Number: A transit number for paper items (or MICR-encoded items) is comprised of a five-digit branch transit number and a three-digit financial institution number. It is encoded using magnetic ink on paper payment items (such as cheques). It is also referred to as MICR Transit Code. It is of the format XXXXX-YYY where XXXXX is a Branch Transit Number, and YYY is a Financial Institution Number. Direct Deposit setup forms usually ask both Branch Transit Number and Institution Number. These routing numbers are sometimes referred to as "Check Routing Numbers" or "Routing Transit Numbers".